TC Electronic has announced three new loudness meter plug-ins for audio and video editing systems.

The new LM2n and LM6n meters offer a wealth of new features plus the easy to use Radar View. The LM1n plug-in is a brand new addition to a growing range and provides the all-important basics in loudness metering while only creating a small footprint on the screen. The new LM2n and LM6n native plug-ins replace the previous LM2 and LM6 plug-ins.

All of these new loudness meters support the major plug-in formats, including AAX (Pro Tools 10 and 11), VST (Nuendo, Cubase, Audition, Premiere, etc.) and Audio Units (Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, etc.) and even offers faster than real time off-line measuring in Pro Tools.

As would be expected from TC Electronic, being heavily involved in research studies on loudness as well as the definition of international loudness standards, LM1n, LM2n and LM6n comply with all major broadcast standards, including BS.1770, A/85, R128, TR-B32 and OP-59, and will remain compliant via updates whenever new revisions of these standards are released.

Bulk Solution: The Easy Way to Make Production Loudness-Based

For large broadcast stations or production facilities, TC Electronic offers LM1n, LM2n and LM6n in a special bulk version that allows installation of a large number of up-to-date meters on Macs and PCs, with no need for iLok USB keys or even licenses stored on individual computers. Bulk customers can easily adjust their quantity of meters, and a company logo will be integrated as part of the custom version of these plug-ins.

What's New? Compared to the their predecessors, LM2n and LM6n offer a lot of new features such as dedicated settings for Max Momentary (M) or Max Short Term (S) Loudness display. Further, LM2n and LM6n offers a 'Big' version of the radar, which is very useful when working at a distance from the screen.

Desaturated view is another new feature that makes the radar's color scheme grey scale. While one would normally choose the full color version of the radar, film professionals prefer a desaturated view that does not take away focus from the visual side of their production.

Many broadcasters have requested a solution for not having to use an iLok USB key, and with LM1n, LM2n and LM6n this is now possible. An iLok user account is still necessary – unless the above-mentioned bulk solution has been chosen – but users can now use an iLok key or store the license on their computer.

LM2n or LM6n? LM2n and LM6n are almost identical. In fact, there are only two things that set them apart: channel format compatibility and logging. LM2n measures any mono or stereo signal while LM6n supports mono, stereo and 5.1 surround. LM6n also features detailed logging for documenting delivery specs in accordance with major broadcast standards, which is key when producing content for broadcast. At the other end of the delivery chain, broadcasters may also need to document compliance with legislation to the authorities, and can also use the log files for quality control and evaluation.

LM1n – The New Kid on the Block TC Electronic's native loudness meter family has been extended with the addition of LM1n. Basically, LM1n measures loudness using the exact same algorithm as LM2n and LM6n and displays the paramount numbers for Program Loudness (I) and either Loudness Range (LRA), Max Momentary Loudness (M), Max Short Term Loudness (S) or Sliding Loudness (10 Sec) as well as True-Peak clipping instantly. LM1n has been developed as a no-nonsense, easy-to-use solution for those who have found that they sometimes need to deliver content that complies with a certain broadcast standard. In other words, a solution that offers max simplicity and delivers great-sounding results that will not be rejected when delivered for broadcast.